remember and reflect

I was nervous and, if I am honest, more than a little scared.

You see, I was speaking at a national conference of my peers in San Diego. Before the day was over I would fear and worry like never before, like the rest of the country.

It was Tuesday, September 11, 2001. 

Do you remember what happened that day? I hope so.

Do not get me wrong: It is not that I want us to suffer from the painful memories of that horrible day all over again—well, I kind of do—but so that we will not forget. As in ever.

You see, I am convinced it is incredibly important for us to remember the gut-wrenching memories of planes flying into buildings, people jumping to their deaths and buildings crumbling to dust before our very eyes.

Why? For the sake of those who perished that day. For the sake of those who were injured that day. For the sake of those who were heroes that day. And for the sake of us, our children and our grandchildren.

We simply must remember and pause to reflect.

Otherwise 9/11 may become like Pearl Harbor Day (December 7, 1941), a day of infamy that many Americans largely ignore here in the 21st century. Was it a horrible and historically-significant day in the history of our country? Absolutely—it was an attack on American soil that killed almost 2,400 people, gutted our Pacific fleet and precipitated a full-fledged war with Japan.

Even though it happened only 70 years ago, do Americans remember and reflect on it? Sadly, few of us do. I, for one, am ashamed because of my track record of indifference. I urge you to join with me and many others to make sure the same thing does not happen with 9/11.

Almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day, and scores more were injured. First-responders displayed unprecedented courage. We went to war in Afghanistan. The American way of life has not been the same since.

Like Pearl Harbor, September 11, 2001 was a day of infamy for this nation—future generations will surely examine it closely because of its significance.

Yet remembering what happened on a national scale is not good enough—I believe there is merit in our remembering more personal things from that day.

For instance, where were you when you heard? What were you doing? Do you remember how you felt? For many of us—perhaps even most of us—those details are still fresh in our minds.

I remember being scared, worried and even angry. How was my family back home? Will there be more attacks in the days and weeks to come? Is this the end of the United States as we know it?

Will remembering be painful? Absolutely, especially if it combines a recollection of both the events themselves and our personal circumstances as things unfolded. Personalizing the day can be both powerful and cathartic.

For the sake of those who perished that day. For the sake of those who were injured that day. For the sake of those who were heroes that day. And for the sake of us, our children and our grandchildren.

We simply must remember and pause to reflect.


Three ways to remember and reflect:

1. Read your local newspaper and/or watch television for 9/11 specials and news coverage.
2. Go to a local remembrance ceremony.
3. Go online to 911memorial.org and look at the day’s timeline of events.